The Bloody Ruin Asylum & Taproom

The Bloody Ruin Asylum & Taproom by Seana Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gosh, this book was loads of dark, fun, romantic awesomeness. Sam and Clive are just great together and constantly challenge my expectations for what mess they can get into.

This book is all about “the guild,” a super secret group of vampires that essentially polices the nocturnes. It’s invite only, and Clive just so happens to get on the short list of potential candidates. As a supportive wife, Sam comes along to what she only later finds out is a renovated asylum which is lousy with ghosts and general bad juju. Right from the start, things do not go as planned and it is clear there is something going on that is affecting the attendees.

Sam, of course, meets the local werewolves in the worst way possible and ends up making frenemies. It’s through this relationship that we learn some of the local lore that could potentially explain some of the awful things Sam has witnessed both in real life and from the ghosts. Oh, and did I mention Vlad is real in this world and we meet him? Of course he is a part of the guild and he ends up joining our band of good guys to do… a lot of things that I won’t spoil. Don’t worry, though, because even though Sam makes gigantic messes everywhere she goes, thing usually end up better because of it.

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The Nocturne’s Gatekeeper

The Nocturne’s Gatekeeper by Seana Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a wonderful surprise this short story was! As someone who reads any and all offshoots of a main series, I knew I had to pick this up before the next Sam Quinn book. I don’t think it is necessarily required reading, but it gives such wonderful insights into what’s going on at the Nocturne now that Sam & Clive are out living another life.

The Nocturne is now run by Russell, with the help of Audrey and Godfrey. Audrey is the narrator of the story and it goes through a somewhat normal night for the crew. They are interviewing for new housemates, troubleshooting supernatural issues, and rescuing kittens (for real). We truly get to see Audrey as she is now, in a rather satisfying way. When we first met her, she was timid, having been under a serious compulsion for far too long to have lots of herself left. She’s since become a force in the Nocturne and I’m glad we get to see Russell appreciate that in all the best ways.

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Grim and Bear It

Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh my gosh, I am so sad to let this series end. This is a very well-deserved HEA ending, but stillllllll - I want more of this bunch!

Clara and Henry have been secretly crushing on one another for a long time. Henry is the #1 anonymous fan of Clara’s book blog and she uses this newly gained knowledge to finally approach him with an invite to her book club. Of course, her invite implies a lot more, but a girl’s gotta start somewhere. Henry is already head-over-heels in love with Clara by the time they actually end up hooking up/falling into a relationship so it reads a little like a fated mates romance.

This story has romance, mystery, betrayal, family, love, babies, and happy endings for all involved. I would 100% recommend starting from book#1 and taking the leisurely journey through this wonderful world that the author has built. I will miss these characters so much, but had a great time watching them meet their matches.

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The Uncrowned King

The Uncrowned King by Donna Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I shouldn’t have to say this, but as book#2 in a duology, you should reach book 1 before this one. I read these books back-to-back and it was a pretty satisfying way to consume them. If you had to wait for this one, I’m sorry. That cliffhanger!

We join Kora who is desperate to save Derek from his potential brain-wiping fate at the hands of the woman she helped free. She ends up teaming up with dragons and their mates, finding a mutual enemy as the reason she is able to overcome years of hatred against dragonkind. We get to spend some time with familiar faces if you are aware of the larger universe of these stories. They help Kora settle in and ultimately hunt for her mate.

Derek is not so lucky. He has to try to stitch his memory back together from pieces and what the big bad tells him. He is, thankfully, skeptical, and ends up challenging the mission he is put on. This doesn’t stop the big showdown, though, but in a good way. Everyone eventually ends up in the same place, fighting it out, and we even get a grand wedding! This book was a rollercoaster that had me equal parts cringing at what Derek does and rooting for team “good dragons.” While I think you need to have read at least a few books in this world to truly appreciate the big plot work done, these two books, when read together, give a very satisfying conclusion.

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The Bastard King

The Bastard King by Donna Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve got a few warnings before I dive into the review. First, this book ends in a cliffhanger that caught me by surprise even though this is a “duology.” If that is not your jam, I understand, and figured a heads up would be appreciated. Second, I am well versed in the Donna Grant world of dragon kings and their related politics/supernatural drama. I mention this because I am not quite sure you could start your journey in this world with this book series. There have been a lot of preliminary skirmishes and buildup to this big showdown that you may not fully understand or appreciate without having at least gotten a taste of this world from one or more previous books.

Now on to Derek and Kora’s story (or the start of it at least)! Kora is a woman alone in the world on a world similar to ours, but in another realm. It is a bit “old timey” in that they don’t have much technology and hot water is a luxury still. The word tunic is thrown around a lot. In this world, dragons are real and are to be avoided at all costs. The humans are slowly being either captured or lured into a city that has a very extreme class system. There is a mysterious ruler nobody has seen and the religion revolves around killing anyone with magic. Oh, and nobody can have kids for some reason, but they magically show up. This is all “normal” and Kora has reached the point where she is ready to put an end to it all.

Kora has a vendetta against the ruler, who is a “star person,” which essentially means a god. They have magic and can only be taken down by one other supernatural thing - a hellhound. Lucky for Kora, she is one and may be the only remaining one because dragons have destroyed her entire race. She hides this and lives a solitary life until she comes upon Derek. Derek is secretly his own type of supernatural, a dragon. Since he can take human form, he can conceal that secret from Kora when they meet. They both have oodles of secrets but manage to find a relationship together, even though it starts as purely physical.

These two go on an adventure that ends up putting them directly in the plot line of dragon kings books. Kora is determined to get revenge, Derek is conflicted because he works for the woman Kora has sworn revenge upon, and all of this ends up coming to a head at the end when some mistakes are made. With so much turmoil, I couldn’t resist and dove right into book 2 at the end, so the cliffhanger did not impact me too badly.



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Death at the Ice Hotel

Death at the Ice Hotel by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an adorable quick read filled with mystery and friendship! I went into this book blind, knowing that I enjoy reading Angie Fox, so was pleasantly surprised by the whole book.

Leia & Kat have been friends since childhood and somewhat recently lost the third to their group. When a box of their childhood wishes shows up in a package from her parents, Leia decides to start “granting” these wishes as a spur of the moment decision. Kat is game for adventure and probably needs some relaxation time from her full time gig as an emergency nurse. These two pack up their bags and head out to stay in an ice hotel of all places.

What should be relatively simple enough ends up growing into a full blown murder mystery story with ice sculptures! There are some lovely side characters we meet, lots of ice sculpting drama, and many casual interrogations. The dynamic duo of Leia and Kat end up cracking the case, giving justice to the victims all while checking off a childhood wish in the process. This was a fun but still serious mystery that had me guessing all along the way. As the start of a new series, you’ve got me hooked!

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